Guitar virtuoso Preston Reed plucks up front row appeal

Preston Reed has tutored Ed Sheeran in his innovative guitar playing, writes Joe Dermody.

FEW seats have greater appeal to acoustic guitarists than the front row at a Preston Reed show, the New York-born inventor of a mould-breaking percussive style.

Living in Scotland since 2000, for a time Reed hosted highly sought-after, five-day private workshops. He recalls one 2005 workshop in which he tutored a talented 13-year-old called Ed Sheeran.